Are we getting value for money? It's no secret that soaring medical costs have created an overall national health crisis. Health care prices are rising three times faster than wages. “Consider this: If the cost of groceries increased at the same rate as health care, you would pay $55 for a dozen eggs. We spend twice as much per person on health care as other developed countries, but we don't get value for money. In fact, our life expectancy ranks 51st in the world behind Guam, South Korea and Iceland” (bcbsnc.com, 2012). We all feel the burden of high medical costs on a personal level through our health insurance premiums. Many people believe that a substantial portion of their insurance premiums end up in the pockets of insurance companies, but this is not the case. “On average, more than 85 percent of each insurance premium directly funds medical costs. In fact, health insurance companies have some of the lowest profit margins in the health care industry” (bcbsnc.com, 2012). Understanding where our healthcare dollars go doesn't fully explain why costs are high....